US Open: ‘I was struggling on American hard courts,’ says Zverev after Rd 16 win
New York, Sep 8 (IANS) Alexander Zverev believes his progress at the US Open has been a gradual process of rebuilding confidence, with the German top seed reaching the quarter-finals after overcoming Luciano Darderi in straight sets in New York on Monday.
Zverev, who opened his campaign with two hard-fought five-set victories, has since found greater consistency, following them up with consecutive straight-set wins. His latest came against 21st seed Darderi, whom he defeated 6-2, 6-2, 7-6(3) in two hours and 31 minutes.
“I was struggling on the American hard courts, so I didn’t come in with a lot of confidence initially. I think I really needed, especially the first round, I really needed a win like that. The second round, I made it difficult for myself, but I felt like I was getting into the tournament, and sometimes that’s what you need. I’m happy with it, and happy to be still in the tournament,” Zverev was quoted as saying by JioStar.
The victory was particularly significant given Darderi’s previous success against Zverev. The Italian had stunned the German in Rome earlier this year after saving four match points, but Zverev left little room for a repeat in their latest meeting.
The 29-year-old produced one of his most assured serving displays of the tournament, landing 72 per cent of his first serves and winning 86 per cent of the points behind them. He also saved the only break point he faced in the opening set.
Although he was unable to convert any of his five break opportunities in the third set, Zverev remained composed when the match went into a tie-break, taking it 7-3 to complete the victory.
Reflecting on his improvement as the tournament has progressed, Zverev said the performance represented another important step in his campaign.
“Yeah, I think it was another step forward, which I’m very happy about. I thought the third-round match was a big step forward compared to the first two matches, which was very, very needed. And yeah, I’m happy to be in the quarterfinals with this kind of performance.”
The run has also extended a significant achievement for Zverev this season. The Roland Garros champion is the only man to have reached the quarter-finals at all four Grand Slam tournaments in 2026, doing so for the first time in his career.
A 25-time tour-level champion, Zverev will now turn his attention to the quarter-final stage in New York as he looks to continue a season in which he has established himself as one of the most consistent performers at the majors.
–IANS
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